Workers lay out solar panels on the roof of the renovated Kirner-Johnson Building last fall.
Hitting the switch: Electricity the key
IT'S NOT DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE WHY ELECTRICITY MAKES UP SO MUCH of the Hamilton community's carbon footprint. For one thing, Hamilton spends most of its waking hours in electric light, particularly during its notorious winters. For another, all this electric light is supplemented by the almost constant use of devices such as computers and cell phones. Checking e-mail, making calls, typing papers and using online resources enhance living and learning at Hamilton, but they also contribute to global warming.
The environmental impact of electricity depends on the fuel that drives it. Burning oil, for instance, releases carbon dioxide; burning coal emits even more of this climate-warming compound. Nuclear, solar and wind power do not emit carbon dioxide, so from the perspective of preventing global warming, they are better choices. Like most institutions, Hamilton doesn't use just one of these options to fulfill its energy needs; it uses a mix of several fuels. By choosing these fuels wisely, it can minimize its carbon footprint.
The Sustainability Committee is working hard to do just that. In fiscal 2004, Hamilton began purchasing renewable energy; in fiscal 2007, it began to supplement these purchases by buying renewable energy credits (RECs). RECs provide "green certificates" stating that energy used to provide electricity came from renewable sources. As a result of these purchases, Hamilton runs on 19 percent renewable energy as of fiscal year 2009 — substantially higher than its immediate target of 15 percent set under the Climate Commitment.
But members of the committee stress that the Hamilton community, particularly students, would need to alter their energy-spending habits for any lasting impact on Hamilton's electricity use. Without a significant change in individual behavior, they say, a meaningful reduction in energy consumption is unlikely to sustain itself.
For this reason, as well as for financial reasons, the committee has leaned away from suggestions by students and others that Hamilton depend entirely on RECs to neutralize its carbon footprint. Since RECs don't require behavioral changes in the Hamilton community, they would not actually reduce the community's appetite for energy. Many committee members see more extensive purchase of RECs as a means of paying Hamilton's way out of its more inefficient energy practices rather than reforming those practices.
"The real change needs to be human behavioral change. It's easy to get environmental energy credits, but that does not change our energy consumption," Leach says.
"We want to sustain reduction. We don't want people to fall back into old habits."
Another long-term solution to Hamilton's electricity needs may already be in place, at least in rudimentary form. In November, the College began producing power from a wind turbine near Babbitt Residence Hall and a pair of solar arrays on the roofs of KJ and the Outdoor Leadership Center. Bellona estimates that the three systems will produce 50,000 kilowatt-hours annually — only a fraction of the College's needs, but a significant step toward exploiting renewable resources more fully.
